Michael Stipe provides update on long-awaited solo album: “It’s been a struggle”
REM’s Michael Stipe has lifted the lid on his long-awaited solo album and explained why it has taken so long to arrive.
After REM called it quits after more than 30 years together in 2011, Stipe took a break from music before slowly venturing into his solo career in 2019 with the release of his debut single. Most recently, he teamed up with producer Andrew Watt to produce the theme song for the new comedy series Rooster.
In 2022, Stipe previously stated that his first solo album “should come together next year”. Then, in 2023, the singer shared that he had “finished the songs” for the project.
However, he did also warn, “I could keep working on this record for a decade and let my insecurities get the better of me.”
Three years on from those comments, the album is still yet to materialise, and now, in a new interview with The Times, Stipe explained, “Covid didn’t help, but I’m finishing it. When the band split, I just needed a break.”
Stipe conceded that it had taken longer than he had wanted to complete the record, which he largely puts down to the quality of the work that he produced with REM and wanting this album to be comparable to those records.
He shared, “I took five years but I got pulled back into music. It’s been a struggle. That’s the main thing. I want it to be great, but I’ve got the pressure of having been in REM and it’s a high bar, because I want this to be as good as that, and that’s near impossible.”
On his current thought process, Stipe frankly admitted, “So it’s fucking exciting but also terrifying, and I’m doing the music for the first time too, and I think I’m good at it but not great.”
While no official announcement has yet been made, Stipe confirmed that he does have a deadline for the project and hopes that it will arrive before the end of 2026. However, there are still eight songs that need to be completed before he can reach the finishing line.
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